How to get a motor certified

The Rocketry Forum

Help Support The Rocketry Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I've never tried this and it doesn't sound perfectly safe, but I read in a rocket magazine that some people fill the nozzles of black powder booster motors (maybe C6-0s?) with epoxy. Then they insert them into a cluster rocket with the glued nozzles facing up and light the other end for thrustless smoke...
If you use poured/loose dry black powder as you mentioned, you have probably created on hell-of a firecracker... :oops: BTW, what rocket magazine was that?
 
I guess I don’t understand. This is exactly why some people do research. Why is there no point?
What I want is a thicker, longer smoke trail in LPR. The experiments would be some fun on their own, so I shouldn't say totally worthless. Gaining L2 is something I'm theoretically working on, but judging by my own behavior over the last several years it doesn't seem to be a high priority. Getting the L2 and then only using these little smoke generators in little rockets at reasearch launches seems not worth it. What I'd like to do is develop and test them, then knock out a dozen at a time and use them at my local club launches, which is off the table if I can't get them certified.

If you use poured/loose dry black powder as you mentioned, you have probably created on hell-of a firecracker... :oops: BTW, what rocket magazine was that?
I agree that method doesn't sound like a good idea. I was thinking of fuel rich R-candy for two reasons. First, it's not BP. Second, I read a long time ago in Abbie Hoffman's Steal This Book a smoke bomb recipe with the same primary ingredients as R-candy but in a very fuel rich ratio. I've tried that formula, but without processing it properly, and it worked quite well all the same.
 
Last edited:
What I want is a thicker, longer smoke trail in LPR. The experiments would be some fun on their own, so I shouldn't say totally worthless. Gaining L2 is something I'm theoretically working on, but judging by my own behavior over the last several years it doesn't seem to be a high priority. Getting the L2 and then only using these little smoke generators in little rockets at reasearch launches seems not worth it. What I'd like to do is develop and test them, then knock out a dozen at a time and use them at my local club launches, which is off the table if I can't get them certified.
heck, just but one of these and electrically ignite with as 2nd launcher....

https://smokeeffect.com/?gclid=CjwK...9129srS18cEuLCQXvEonaV9MQXbOggaRoC7d4QAvD_BwE
although this too might violate some obscure part of NFPA 1122. You realize of course the only way you are going to know if you violated NFPA 1122 or 1127 is to actually read it? And even then, after you read it, your interpretation might not even be correct. I can see this playing out in court.

on the other hand, Rule #8 of the NAR Safety Code states No Flammable or explosive payloads.....does that include dual-deploy BP ejection charges? or does it literally mean don't put flammable or explosives warheads in model rockets? probably the latter. ah, the English language, it can mean anything you want it to mean. Of Course, The NAR Safety Code only applies to NAR members. The general public can basically do whatever they want to do as long as they do it in accordance with NFPA 1122 but then 99.9999% of the general public arent' even aware there is a NFPA 112 in the 1st place.
 
I've understood Rule 8 to mean that anything burning has to be the motor, though the BP charge for electronic deployment is something else, which raises a good point.

Anyway, I've been thinking that a smoke generator like this would not be allowed under Rule 8 unless it's "disguised" as a motor and follows motor rules. If there's another legitimate way I'd love to near it.
 
Neither ejection charges nor very low thrust smoky motors are considered payloads.

As part of Tripoli research you can make smoke grains to place in the forward bulkhead.
Good to know, but it doesn't help me fly them at non-research launches, unless someone knows where I can buy them certified. :(
 
A shame that this isn't practical. I was interested when I saw the thread title because I'd like to fly a thrustless Nil0-7, or -10, or some such. It's all smoke. Probably 18 × 70 mm, slow burning fuel rich R-candy, and no nozzle. But I'd need to be L2 certified, and limited to Tripoli research launches.

I haven't really developed it, because there doesn't seem to be any point.

Get your L2 and join Tripoli. I rushed mine back in the day. I was mixing with a group as I was an L1 and acquired a stash of K and L motors. I didn't fly them until after I achieved L2 and flew a pile of electronics first on H's and I's.

We had a mentor come to our location to instruct us on the art of making motors and off we went.

I helped mix motors for quite some time as an L1. Granted, there were several L3 and L2 people in the group. I'd bring some of the fix'ins for motor sizes I wanted and dumped them into the pot. Yes, yes I did the appropriate calculations as we were making 20 to 25kgs at a time. (Commercial mixer) Those were the days.

Push comes to shove and "Payload" could post the formula and offer the motor casing forsale if it could be produced on a production basis. Unfortunately, my Prefect machinist passed away some time ago. I'd just give him the raw materials and he'd turn a snap ring case and graphite nozzle for anyone gratis whatever size. Had a lathe for metal and one for graphite. Graphite makes a big mess in the shop turning so he'd usually put a vacuum cleaner on it or put a lathe out in the driveway to turn the nozzle.

Kurt
 
Last edited:
I have this obsession with 29mm motors and 38mm airframes. Except for an Estes Bull Pup and a larger Bull Puppy, all my birds are scratch built 38mm airframes - I like to see how much I can jam in to a small space.
Sorry, but this makes me laugh.. have you seen my thread?


Tom
 
Back
Top